Tool for detaching chain links

ABSTRACT

A TOOL FOR DETACHING CHAIN LINKS COMPRISING A HOLLOW RECTANGULAR TUBE HAVING AN INTERNALLY THREADED SLEEVE SECURED TO ONE SIDE THEREOF WHICH THREADABLY RECEIVES A BOLT MEMBER THEREIN. THE BOTTOM SIDE OF THE TUBE HAS A GUIDE MEANS THEREON TO ENABLE THE TUBE TO BE PROPERLY ALIGNED ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE CHAIN LINK. A CLAMP-TYPE ADJUSTABLE WRENCH IS USED TO MAINTAIN THE TOOL ON THE CHAIN LINK. THE CHAIN LINKS ARE DETACHED BY THREADABLY TURNING THE BOLT MEMBER TO EXTEND INTO THE SLOTTED SLEEVE OF ONE CHAIN LINK AND TO FORCE THE PINTLE PIN OF THE ATTACHED CHAIN LINK THEREFROM.

Sept. 21, 1971 J. AHART, SR 3,606,663

TOOL FOR DETACHING CHAIN LINKS Filed May 16, 1969 gig 44 12x11;

United States Patent fioe U.S. Cl. 29256 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A tool for detaching chain links comprising a hollow rectangular tube having an internally threaded sleeve secured to one side thereof which threadably receives a bolt member therein. The bottom side of the tube has a guide means thereon to enable the tube to be properly aligned on the outside of the chain link. A clamp-type adjustable wrench is used to maintain the tool on the chain link. The chain links are detached by threadably turning the bolt member in the sleeve which causes the lower end of the bolt member to extend into the slotted sleeve of one chain link and to force the pintle pin of the attached chain link therefrom.

Numerous tools for detaching chain links have been provided but have found little acceptance due to the shortcomings thereof. The design of the prior tools is such that they may not be used in both right-hand or left-hand positions. Further, the prior tools usually fit only a small number of the various chain link sizes or attachment links which requires that tools of several sizes must be purchased. The prior tools have also met with little success due to their inability to be used in tight places and also their instability when being used.

Therefore, it is a principal object of this invention to provide a tool for detaching chain links.

A further object of this invention is to provide a tool for detaching chain links which may be used in the righthand or left-hand position. A further object of this invention is to provide a tool for detaching chain links which fits on the outside of the chain link so that the tool will fit substantially all of the Various chain link sizes and attachment links.

A further object of this invention is to provide a tool for detaching chain links which may be used in tight places.

A further object of this invention is to provide a tool for detaching chain links which is adapted to be rigidly secured to the outsde of the chain link.

A further object of this invention is to provide a tool for detaching chain links having guide means thereon to enable the tool to be properly positioned on the chain link.

A further object of this invention is to provide a tool for detaching chain links which is convenient to use.

A further object of this invention is to provide a tool for detaching chain links including means to supply the necessary force to separate the chain links.

A further object of this invention is to provide a tool for detaching chain links which is economical of manu- Ifacture, durable in use and refined in appearance.

These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

This invention consists in the construction, arrangements, and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained as hereinafter more fully set forth, specifically pointed out in the claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the tool being used to detach chain links, a clamp type wrench being shown in phantom;

Patented Sept. 21, 1971 FIG. 2 is a view of the device illustrating its use in separating chain links wth portons thereof cut away to more fully illustrate the invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a pair of chain links;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the tool of this invention;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the tool of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an end elevational view of the tool of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 7 is a bottom view of the tool of FIG. 4.

The tool of this invention is generally designated by the reference numeral 10 while the numeral 12 designates a conventional clamp type wrench means having an upper jaw 14 and a movable lower jaw 16. The numeral 18 refers generally to a conventional chain link having a slotted sleeve 20 at one end thereof and a pintle pin 22 at the other end thereof. A pair of side bars 24 and 26 are secured to slotted sleeve 20 and pintle pin 22 and extend therebetween as seen in FIG. 3. As seen in FIG. 3, the pintle pin 22 of a chain link 18 is pivotally received by the slotted sleeve 20 of the adjacent chain link.

Tool 10 includes a hollow rectangular tube or support means 28 which will be described as including a top 30, bottom 40, and opposite sidewalls 42 and 44 for convenience in description. An internally threaded sleeve or bolt support means 46 is secured to the exterior surface of wall 42 by any convenient means such as welding or the like and has a bolt 48 threadably extending therethrough. Bolt 48 includes a head portion 50 and a lower end 52. If desired, the lower end 52 of bolt 48 may be provided with a swivel means if desired.

The numeral 54 refers generally to a guide means which is provided on the exterior surface of bottom 40 designed to provide an inverted V-shaped recess portion 56 when viewed as in FIG. 5. Recess portion 56 may be provided by simply building up the metal on the underside of bottom 40 by welding or the like or by forming the same in the underside of bottom 40. As seen in FIG. 5, the longitudinal axis of bolt 48 is aligned with the center line of the gude means 54. The relationship of the guide means 54 and the sleeve 46 and bolt 48 is also illustrated in FIG. 7.

In operation, the tool 10 is slipped over the upper jaw of the clamp-type adjustable wrench 12 so that jaw 14 extends through the interior of the tube 28 as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. To detach a steel chain link, the tool is then placed on the outside of the top side bar 24 of the adjacent link as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 with the guide means 54 positioned on the side bar 24 so that side bar 24 is received in recess 56. The configuration of recess 56 causes the side bar 24 to be properly centered in the recess 56 so that the side bar will be properly aligned with the longitudinal axis of the bolt 48. The inverted V-shape of recess 56 also permits the tool to be used on all of the sizes of standard steel chain or attachment links. As seen in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the lower jaw 16 of wrench 12 extends through the open area of the link and the wrench 12 and tool 10 is moved along side bar 24 until bolt 48 is directly over the slotted sleeve 20. Once the tool 10 has been positioned so that the bolt 28 is over the slotted sleeve 20, the wrench 12 is clamped to rigidly maintain the tool 10 in the relationship seen in FIG. 2. As seen in FIG. 2, the width of tool 10 is substantially greater than the width of the jaws of the wrench so that the tool 10 can accommodate wrenches having various jaw sizes.

Threadable rotation of bolt 48 causes the lower end 52 thereof to extend downwardly and to engage the upper end of the pintle pin 22 and to force the same downwardly from slotted sleeve 20. Obviously, the chain links would be positioned as illustrated in FIG. 1 so that the side bar 24 can pass downwardly through the slot formed in the slotted sleeve 20. The bolt is rotated until the links are separated.

The rigid connection of the tool 10 with respect to the chain link and the rotation of the bolt 24 against the pintle pin will etficiently force the pintle pin of one chain link from the slotted sleeve of the adjacent chain link. The tool 10 may also be used on attachment links in the manner described herein before. The tool 10 can be used in either right-hand or left-hand positions and can be employed in extremely tight positions of those positions which are normally difficult to reach. The tool '10 can be used on most of the various chain link sizes due to the fact that it is positioned on the outside of the chain link. Thus, the tool can be applied to an attachment link to detach an adjacent link or to a standard link to detach an adjacent attachment link. The guide means 54 insures that the tool will be properly positioned with respect to the chain link which adds greatly to the convenience in using the tool. Preferably, the tool is constructed of suitable steel material or the like.

Thus it can be seen that the device accomplishes at least all of its stated objectives.

I claim:

1. In combination with a Wrench having a pair of opposing jaw members, a chain link detaching tool for chain links having a slotted sleeve at one end and a pintle pin at the other end; said tool comprising:

a support means including a base member having at least one wall member secured thereto and extending upwardly therefrom;

an internally threaded bolt support member secured to said wall member;

an elongated bolt means threadably mounted in said bolt support member, the longitudinal axis of said bolt means being transverse to the plane of said base member and parallel to the plane of said wall member;

a guide means on the underside of said base member; said guide means comprising an elongated channel means having an inverted V-shape, the longitudinal axis of said channel means being transverse to the longitudinal axis of said bolt means, said guide means being adapted to receive a portion of said chain link to align said bolt means with said slotted sleeve; and

said bolt means being selectively threadably movable in said bolt support member to cause the lower end of said bolt means to be moved downwardly below said base member to cause the pintle pin of one chain link to be forced downwardly from the slotted sleeve of the chain link adjacent thereto.

2. In a tool for detaching chain links having a slotted sleeve at one end and a pintle pin at the other end,

a support means including a base member having at least one wall member secured thereto and extending upwardly therefrom,

an internally threaded bolt support member secured to said wall member,

an elongated bolt means threadably mounted in said bolt support member, the longitudinal axis of said bolt means being transverse to the plane of said base member and parallel to the plane of said wall member,

said support means adapted to have an attachment means detachably secured thereto for detachably maintaining said support means on the chain link,

said bolt means being selectively threadably moved in said bolt support member to cause the lower end of said bolt means to be moved downwardly below said base member to cause the pintle pin of one chain link to be forced downwardly from the slotted sleeve of the chain link adjacent thereto,

said support means being comprised of a hollow rectangular tube,

said bolt support member being an elongated sleeve,

said support means having a guide means on the underside of said base member adapted to receive a portion of said chain link to align said bolt means with respect to said slotted sleeve,

said guide means comprising an elongated channel means having an inverted V-shape, the longitudinal axis of said channel means being transverse to the longitudinal axis of said bolt means.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said support means is comprised of a hollow rectangular tube, said bolt support member being an elongated sleeve.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said tube has open opposite ends, each of which are adapted to selectively receive a jaw member of the wrench extending therethrough.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,344,036 6/1920- Heymann 254-86 WILLIAM S. LAWSON, Primary Examiner L. GILDEN, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

